january tornadoes that flipped rvs and sent trees and powerlines crashing into homes. accuweather's jim dickey tells us what else is on tap for today. >> good morning, rob and sunny. an unusually warm day expected. across the -- this has a strong system moving into canada. bringing a surge of warmth from the south. plenty of rainfall with this. strong storms. temperature-wise, many areas challenging if not setting new highs today. 55 your expected high in boston. 69 degrees in the d.c. area. mid 60s in pittsburgh as well. southeast, a mild day. 78 in columbia. 80s across florida. rob and sunny, back to you. >> thanks, jim. for much more on the weather ups and downs, stay with us for "good morning america." sam champion will be here with the latest on the snow, the twisters, and topsy-turvy temperatures. >> old man winter taking us for a ride the last few days. >> that's right. the other big story, the economy. the powerful rally on wall street. if you've invested in stocks, these are some pretty good days.

>> and for the reasons that shares are trading at near record levels, we're pleased to say we are joined here in new york by abc's tahman bradley. good morning, tahman. >> reporter: good morning, sunny and rob. so nice to be up here with you, i brought some good news. seems like the economy is turning around. new data is -- are giving both investors and home owners reasons to smile. the economy posts numbers we haven't seen in years. it looks and feels like a comeback. stocks and the nation's housing market are soaring. the dow jones nearly hit the 14,000 mark yesterday, closing at 13,954, its highest level in five years. after an increase of 850 points in january, the dow is only 200 points away from its all-time high. the result, american investments are surging. the average 401(k) retirement account increased 20% in the last year. from $64,000 to roughly $80,000. >> the worst case scenarios, that people were looking at in 2008, they can start to say, all

right, we're not going to go there. >> reporter: on the housing front, home prices rose 5.5% in november. compared to a year ago. it was the biggest year-to-year increase since the housing bubble. >> this is a miracle in motion. we haven't seen this in probably seven years. >> reporter: housing prices up ten months in a row, up the most in phoenix, nearly 23%. so why are buyers lining up? for starters, interest rates are historically low. >> with mortgage rates so low, this was the best time. it was a steal. >> we're in the bottom right now, spinning out of it. and that fear gets everybody off the fence. >> reporter: while many americans are selling, some americans are sitting on the sidelines, waiting for their home value to recover completely. while it seems to economy is humming along, the country is still not out of the woods yet. government and private numbers due out today are expected to show anemic growth. rob? sunny? >> tahman bradley. thank you so much for joining us this morning. >> always good to have you live in the flesh, mr. bradley. >> good to see you guys. >> thanks for making the trip.

we also have breaking news from south korea. overnight, it answered north korea with a rocket launch of its very own. it put a research satellite into orbit after previous failures and some delays, as well. north korea had its own successful rocket launch last month. adding to fears it's working on its missile program. in egypt this morning, civil war appears increasingly likely now that the government is losing control. protesters once again defied the curfew and state of emergency imposed by president mohamed morsi. the head of the military has warned that egypt could collapse under the weight of the political unrest. the crisis in egypt will be among the top challenges for incoming secretary of state john kerry. the massachusetts democrat won easy senate confirmation yesterday. the massachusetts governor names kerry's replacement in the senate later today. former congressman barney frank says he would like the job. and the outgoing secretary, hillary clinton, says she looks forward to the changes in her personal and political life, including the chance to sleep

late on occasion. "nightline" anchor cynthia mcfadden sat down with clinton as her term comes to an end. >> reporter: she's been secretary of state for four years. visited 112 countries, more than any of her predecessors. logged almost 1 million miles. it's where she is going next that has everybody talking. can you still say with a straight face that you have -- that there's no way you would consider running for president? >> sitting here right now, that's certainly what i believe. i'm still the secretary of state. so i'm not in politics. >> reporter: are we up to maybe? >> that's very good, cynthia. well, of course, of course, i am flattered and honored. i didn't know about some of these things that are happening now. i don't know how else to say it. but i am going to get back into my life again. >> reporter: a recent series of medical problems have been no laughing matter. it is good to see you looking so

healthy. >> thank you, thank you. >> reporter: it really was a serious health scare. >> it was a big surprise to me, because i've been so healthy for my entire life. i'm getting fully recovered. i will be back to full speed. but, i'm grateful for the excellent care i got. >> reporter: in her testimony, clinton pulled no punches. >> you didn't know that. >> with all due respect, the fact is, we had four dead americans. was it because of a protest? >> reporter: you lost your temper at the hearings. >> when someone tries to put into a partisan lens, that, to me, is not in keeping with the seriousness of the issue, and the obligation we all have as public servants. >> reporter: so you stand by what you said? >> absolutely. >> certainly some well-earned time off. >> yes. >> we'll see what happens next. all right, coming up next after the break, 44 years and not a single sick day. plus, the growing concern on college campuses. tough times and landing that

first job after graduation. and later in "the pulse" in the battle of man versus machine, see how machine usually wins.

welcome back, everyone. as we mentioned earlier, wall street is flirting with 14,000. the dow jones industrial average this morning opens less than six -- less than 50 points away from that milestone. after closing at its highest point in more than five years. the dow was up 72 points yesterday. the nasdaq index was off less than a point. boeing reportedly knew about problems with the dreamliner's

batteries before all the 787 jets were grounded this month. both japanese airlines flying the planes replaced at least a dozen of the lithium ion batteries after the new planes went into service. that was before one battery caught fire and another began smoking earlier this month, prompting the grounding. some bad news for college students. nearly half of recent college grads are working in jobs that don't require a bachelor's degree. in fact, the study found that 38% are in jobs that don't even require a high school degree. but having a college diploma still pays benefits later in a career. >> this could be a do-or-die day for blackberry. research in motion is introducing new software in the hopes that it will return blackberry to dominance. in the smartphone industry. once dominant, it now has less than 5% of the market. and youtube will reportedly begin offering paid subscriptions for individual channels starting this spring.

it might include programs and live events. up until now, producers have had to rely on advertising revenue for payment. fees would initially be $5 or less a month. and neither rain nor snow nor sleet nor -- well, not feeling well kept a detroit postal worker from her job. debra ford retires from the postal service tomorrow after 44 years without ever taking a sick day. she's payroll clerk at detroit's main post office. she'll be rewarded with an extra 5% in her pension. >> you don't see that kind of worker loyalty and dedication anymore these days. that is a dying breed. tip my hat to her. i'm going to call out sick sometime next week. when we come back this morning, courage and recovery. a soldier talks about the unprecedented surgery that gave him, literally, a new set of arms. also ahead, yankees slugger alex rodriguez at the center of another doping scandal. could this be a-rod's final strike?

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try a free sample at eucerinus.com. check out this bizarre scene in west texas. tumble weeds blowing in every direction. powerful winds sent so many of them bouncing around midland county that this dirt road was completely covered at times. drivers had to carefully break them up to keep driving. now for a look at your morning road conditions. hopefully easier than what we just saw. we have slick highways across the northwest. a wet ride for much of the eastern third of the country. if you're flying, airport delays are possible in chicago, new orleans and detroit. also along the east coast in atlanta, charlotte, d.c., philly, new york, and boston. back to the -- excuse me.

back to the news this morning. a story we've been watching overnight. police in midland city are involved in a standoff with man they believe is holding a 6-year-old little boy hostage. >> they say he boarded a school bus earlier in the day, shot the driver several times and kidnapped the boy. the driver later died. the suspect is identified as a 65-year-old man scheduled to appear in court this morning on a menacing charge. the nra says boosting school security is more effective in banning assault weapons in reducing gun violence. a top nra official appears on capitol hill today for the year's first congressional hearing on gun control. wayne lapierre says police need to enforce existing gun laws and deny weapons to the mentally ill. former illinois governor george ryan will be released from prison today. the 78-year-old ryan will be transferred to a halfway house in chicago. and the master mind of the manti te'o hoax is telling his side of the story. roniah tuiasosopo's interview with dr. phil interviews tomorrow.

his attorney says coming forward with the truth is part of the healing. he'll provide exact details of the hoax, in which he fooled te'o into believing he was his girlfriend. and a true hero here. former soldier brendan marrocco insisted on wheeling his own wheelchair into a news conference yesterday. he was using the new transplanted arms he received six weeks ago. he also lost both lesion in a roadside bombing in iraq. he said slowly but surely he is getting stronger. >> i can rotate a little bit. this arm is pretty much not much movement at all. not yet. at least we're hopeful for the future to get some good function out of it. out of both of them. i really don't know what to say. it's such a big thing for my life. it's -- it's just fantastic. >> fantastic is an understatement. next up for him, several years

of rehab, as you might imagine. doctors say one of the reasons he was chosen for the double arm transplant was his gritty determination to regain his independence. we all salute that young man. and an update now on our abc colleague, barbara walters. we're happy to report she's out of the hospital and recovering from chickenpox at home. she's now resting comfortably in her own bed and getting stronger, as we knew she would. new york yankees slugger alex rodriguez is among several major leaguers under investigation for the possible use of performance-enhancing drugs. rodriguez is denying the report in a miami newspaper which says he's named in the records of a clinic that sold illegal drugs to athletes. he says he's never been involved with the doctor named in the report. this morning, espn new york reports that the yankees are attempted to void the remainder of a-rod's hefty contract. and the 49ers and ravens can

get down to business now that the super bowl's media day is done. the headline, ray lewis denying a report that he used performance-enhancing drugs while recovering from a torn triaccept this is season. and randy moss seems serious in saying he's the greatest receiver ever. now some hoops highlights from espn. good morning, cassidy hubbarth with your "sportscenter" update. it was a wild finish between the mavs and the blazers. fourth quarter, tied at 101-101 dirk nowitzki looking for the lead. he gets 3 of his 26 points here to put the mavs up, 104-101, with 11 seconds to go. under ten seconds now, lamarcus aldridge, the corner three, his first triple of the season to tie it at 104-104. 1.5 seconds left. aldridge for the win, his second

career buzzer batter. 29 points, 13 boards. the blazers win, 106-104 in dramatic fashion. college hoops, new orleans noel and kentucky taking on ole miss. second half. julius mays hits kyle wilsher for the jam. later, ryan horrow, kentucky up four. holloway up for the dunk, but denied by noel. take another look. noel with a school record 12 blocks in the game. you see. again, another block, this time on holloway. mays in transition. lofts it up to archie goodwin. an 87-74 win. i'm cassidy hubbarth. that was your "sportscenter" update. have a good morning. >> thanks, cassidy. coming up next, here comes the

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and it is time to check "the pulse," stories you'll be talking about today. starting with a movie deal that would make ari gold proud. >> my favorite story of the day. i'm a huge fan of this. warner brothers is giving the green light to a movie version of the hit hbo show "entourage." deals are in the works to bring back the whole gang, vince, e., turtle, drama, and everyone's favorite agent, ari gold. the series wrapped up back in

september 2011. hard to believe it's been that long. it went for about eight seasons. the movie will pick up six months after the finale, a shooting date has not yet been set. a cliff hanger when the show was over. ari got the big deal to run the studio. he was tempted between that job and his marriage. >> i hope it's a good movie. >> unlike others. >> i liked "sex and the city" movie one and two. >> and two? >> that's right. >> we'll debate that after the show. a bride in maryland is looking forward to her wedding in new orleans. take a look. can you tell 44-year-old laura is perhaps a ravens fan? >> her fiance asked for her hand two years ago. she said she would not get married until she won the lottery or her ravens made the super bowl. >> and now she has her purple gown she's going to wear in their wedding ceremony in new orleans on sunday. she'll keep it on attending the game with her man who will then be her husband. >> there are fans and then there

are superfans. >> she's a superfan. and finally, working out is always a really good idea. or is it? now, to answer that question, we offer a video called the people versus fitness. >> it's easy to get the gist. it's a viral compilation of normal folks trying to get fit and having some real problems doing it. despite the evidence, doctors say exercise is good for you. ouch. >> sorry. that one was really good. the whole treadmill fell apart on him. that was good. that's why i don't exercise. too many health risks. >> for some of you, your local news sup next. for the rest of you, an afternoon jaunt 200 feet up? okay. ready... mm-hmm. ...smile. ♪ happy valentine's day. [ female announcer ] time it just right for valentine's day and save 30% on these diamond fashions from kay jewelers. just one more reason kay is the number one jewelry store

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>> good morning, everyone, on wednesday morning. thanks for joining us. i am kristen sze.

we have breaking news in san jose on the scene of a suspicious incident. >> someone threw a lit object at a house near cherry glenn way 90 minutes ago. fire officials say the house did not catch fire but the people there reported smelling smoke. san jose police are on the scene. well monitor the situation and keep you updated throughout the morning. >> we are monitoring the weather. it could be starting out cool but we will warm up. >> more, now, from mike. >> today is the day. i am glad everyone is paying attention, we will warm up in the afternoon. right now, it is dry with less cloud cover. that means twilight not be as pretty a sunrise as yesterday. temperatures will be cooler in our sheltered valleys. the coast is calmer. it will be mostly sunny up to 60. more warmth and sun around the bay and inland at 55 to 65

around the bay. sue has track. >> light this morning. live look at walnut creek, southbound 680 to highway 24 junction everything is moving nicely to the san ramon valley. the road work southbound 101 between central san rafael and 580 and the waldo grade we have various lanes closed primarily the right lane, until 6:00 at various points. eastbound, 237, the ramp to southbound 880 closed until 6:00 because of road work this morning, southbound 280 ramp to northbound 85, as well, because of road work. >> thank you very much, coming up on 4:30. developing news from senate, in a story from abc7 news. police plan to test bones found during a search in the haight-ashbury neighborhood to see if they are missing to a 30-year-old missing pens case.

amy, what led police to the home? >> they wonder if the bones could be those of kevin collins but they say it looks to be that of an animal and you have to wonder if his mother got sleep. she was worried she wasn't going to be able to sleep after everything that happened. look at this video, exclusive video you will only see on abc7 news of investigators arriving at a home on masonic yesterday morning. we were the first to bring you this story. the police cold case unit looked at evidence trying to find out what happened to ten-year-old kevin collins who disappeared in 1984 at ten. the case attracted national attention. police did dig up some bones at the home yesterday but later said they do think they are possibly those of an animal. we spoke with his mother last night after we found out they are likely animal